Senate moves to increase jobless benefits: The Legislature moved a step closer Thursday to passing a plan to temporarily increase the state’s weekly unemployment benefits.

Washington state income tax could raise $6.67 billion in 2012: Is the income tax proposal for real this year? Every year, state Sen. Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma, introduces a bill calling for a state income tax. Hers often is the only name listed as a sponsor. Such is the case this year. She dropped the bill Jan. 13.

Opinion: Tax cuts won’t solve our current economic woes: The congressional debate over the stimulus package may be over, but the larger debate isn’t. Many critics of the bill, which contains a mix of tax cuts and government spending, believe that the government spending part just won’t work.